Your parent center uses culturally-appropriate outreach on a regular basis to engage parents and youth in underserved communities. Military life creates a unique culture for service members and their families-a culture just as distinct as that of an ethnic or linguistic community. We hope this resource with tips from military family members helps you inRead More
University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs Parent centers already refer families to UCEDDs and LEND programs or otherwise have relationships with them, serving on advisory boards and collaborating on partnerships. Here are three reasons for specifically informing military families about these programs andRead More
These quick modules are perfect for individual staff self-directed learning, on-boarding new staff (see Easy Branch Orientation and Guide to Staff Training for suggested order), or as a webinar for a group. A script is included via the “Notes” page view, supplementing the slide text and images with additional information. We’ve included a link toRead More
image credit-Sesame Workshop Sesame Workshop has released a new set of resources, Family Caregiving, for military and other families dealing with the “new normal” of caring for an ill or injured family member. Resources are developed from solid evidence-based research.
Good Reasons for Intentional Outreach Many National Guard families are new veteran families who were recently on full-time active service and may be new to your community and to non-military services for individuals with disabilities Some National Guard are actually full-time military and move from state-to-state for duty For many National Guard families, their commitmentRead More
The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRPs) relies on medical consumers, their families, and caregivers to provide direction on which research is most likely to benefit people like themselves. Parent center staff and volunteers, military-connected family members and civilian family members may be eligible to join review panels that decide which research on their disease,Read More
Many parent center staff, even those who often work with military-connected families, contact the Branch team with questions about how things work in the military system. Here are some examples of questions we’ve received—you may have similar questions. While you are free to contact us, many answers can be found in the resources on ourRead More
State-specific information about a state’s education system is essential for relocating military families, along with how and why to contact a parent center. Parent Center staff developed this resource in collaboration with the Branch!
In helping new veterans’ families navigate civilian services and systems, the Branch highlighted situations where parent centers can make a crucial difference. New veterans’ families are those whose service member has recently transitioned to civilian life. They may be new residents or have lived for years in your state but are now new to allRead More
The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a mandatory* Department of Defense program that helps military dependents with special needs. The Coast Guard, which operates under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security has a similar program called the Special Needs Program, or SNP. * EFMP is mandatory, primarily so a family member’s needs mayRead More